History Always Finds a Way To Repeat Itself
by WinterKate
Summary: What happens when Bailey Shepherd picks up a mystery woman at the bar the same way his father did to Meredith his mother. Set in the future where all the doctor's children are adults and have a surgical career. (I don't own Grey's Anatomy Shonda Rhimes does)
1. Chapter 1

_Changes... can only be effected by alterations in the original. The only thing not prerecorded in a prerecorded universe are the prerecordings themselves. The copies can only repeat themselves word for word. A virus is a copy. You can pretty it up, cut it up, scramble it - it will reassemble in the same form_. -William S. Burroughs 

"Please don't wake up… Please don't wake up…" the tanned skinned woman whispered to herself as she quietly gathered her black heels from off the hotel room floor. She took one last look at the sleeping blonde man lying on the bed. 'Okay Ava… just leave… leave before he wakes up…' she told herself.

She proceeded to the door closing it behind her quietly and sighed in relief. "Jesus would not approve of this…" she told herself out loud while proceeding to press the elevator button and put on her heels. Stepping into the elevator she lifted her head to the shiny almost mirror like doors. There staring right back at her was a blue-green eyed woman with her long disheveled auburn hair covering the right side of her face. Ava quickly gathered her long hair and twisted it into a bun. "… Jesus would definitely not approve…" She told herself out loud. The elevator doors opened and she quickly stepped out and made it out to the street, waving her arm up in the air to hail a cab as a sudden outburst of rain started to pour down.

"Will ten hail Mary's cover it!" Ava yelled up at the sky rain pouring down her perfectly structured face.

"It's just Seattle weather dear… No prayer on earth will control this city's weather" an elderly women passing by told the beautiful tanned skinned women yelling up the sky.

Ava gave the women a smile revealing her dimpled cheeks "I..I wasn't…I was...It was worth a try" she shook her head keeping a smile across her face.

"First time in Seattle?" the elderly women asked offering Ava a newspaper so she can use to shield herself from the rain. "No… I was born here before I moved to Boston with my parents when I was three months old" Ava responded taking the newspaper, unfolding it and placing it over her head.

"Oh… Well then, in that case welcome back" the elderly women replied as she parted ways.

"A baby… she's still a bab… and they… THEY! Will be allowing her to take a seat on the board!" Chief Bailey yelled out to Zola Shephered as they made their way up to the conference room.

"Who's a baby? What are we talking about?" Asked the curvy dark long hair women; jogging to catch up to Zola and Chief Bailey.

"It will be discussed in our meeting in a couple of minutes " Chief Bailey shoot back stepping into the conference room.

Zola and Sophia exchanged a look before following Bailey into the room and taking a seat.

"And where in the hell is Bailey Shep…" Chief Bailey yelled turning her head to look at Zola.

"Right here Chief!" The tall blonde blue eyed man interrupted the Chief while walking into the room and taking a seat next to his sister Zola. "Good Morning Zo" he told her kissing her on the cheek. The caramel skinned woman smiled at her younger brother "You're a Fellow now Bailey and part of the board as well you need to show a little more responsibility…Showing up late to a meeting isn't acceptable"

The blonde man flashed her a smile "Come on Zo-Zo… your sounding like my mom and dad I'm not a baby anymore"

"You're all babies as far as I'm concerned!" the Chief bellowed out. Everyone stared and the graying haired woman sitting at the far end on the conference table. She looked at all the young surgeons with an annoyed look on her face. "And can someone please get Yang on the phone for a conference call!"

Sophia Sloan quickly dialed numbers on a phone set up across from her, the phone gave a couple of rings until a familiar voice was heard on the other end."Can we make this quick" the voice bellowed out.

"Yang we all have things to do… it will be quick" Chief Bailey bellowed out. "Now that we are all here… As we all know this hospital was founded on doctors running this hospital… All your parents ran it… Bailey and Zola you not only represent this hospital but your parents as well… Sophia does the same for both her mother's… So the Avery foundation proposed that since there hasn't been an Avery sitting on this board since Jackson Avery left back to Boston to take over the foundation since his grandfather's passing they will be implementing a replacement Avery"

"WHAT!... we been doing great in running things smoothly without one!" Sophia yelled out as she leaned against the table. "It's just their way to further control things… Did they mention who?" Zola replied rolling her brown eyes. She leaned back against the leather chair and crossed her arms.

"Think of it like this… we can stick this new Avery to do all the clerical work" Bailey said as his blue eyes looked at all the faces in the room. Who all stared back at him annoyed looks "…or not" he let out.

The Chief slowly got up from her seat "Her name is Ava Avery… She was a cardio fellow at Mass. Gen. before the Harper Avery foundation plucked her out from her position there to relocate her here… You will all have a chance to meet the baby… I mean at the Gala that the foundation is throwing… I will assume with exception of Yang that you all will attend?"

Bailey, Zola and Sophia all opened there mouths to protest but the Chief cut them off "It's mandatory!"

"Okay… Baby Avery will be sitting in on a seat on the board… is that all?" Yang replied over the intercom on the phone.

"Yes" the Chief replied. "Good! Well let me know how that goes? Until the next meeting" and with that Cristina hung up.

"Meeting adjourned then… See you all at the Gala" the chief gathered her tablet and looked at her peeping pager and with that she swiftly left the room.

" So… Anybody just as annoyed as I am about this…" Zola asked getting up from her seat.

"I heard she graduated early from high school had to get mommy and daddy's written permission to attend college… She's going to roll up in a big wheel… complete snob and a typical generic Avery" Sophia laughed following Zola out the conference room. "Won't be much of a looker like the rest of them… with the exception of her father of course… Gorgeous man by the way" the Latina looking women said tossing her long dark hair over her shoulder.

"You two need to just cut this person some slack… Having an Avery isn't the end of the world… Besides her father was on the board before her and she was born here" the blue eyed man joined the conversation following the two best friends out the room.

"Also says the baby" Zola teased as Sophia laughed at her teasing. "Besides… where the heck were you this morning I must have called you a million times, you didn't come home last night" She said eyeing her younger brother.

"Well… I hit the town last night got a little wasted didn't fell like driving and let alone making a cab man drive all the way out into the woods , so I stayed at a hotel" Bailey replied as the three of them walked down the familiar halls of Grey-Sloan memorial.

"Alone?" The two women asked together eying him for an answer.

"I need to get to surgery" Bailey said looking at his watch. With that he left the two women. "I'll take that as a yes!" Zola yelled bout as Bailey turned the corner and disappeared out of her sight.

Ava entered the gala lobby gripping the soft material of her gown. She was more than a few minutes late; she was contemplating pacing back and forth in her hotel room whether to come to the stupid gala that her stupid family was throwing to bring in money. She took one last look at herself on a large mirror in the lobby she gazed back at her reflection looking at her navy blue cap sleeve mermaid style gown. She turned her head from side to side checking if her auburn hair was still in an updo checking if any hairs were out of place. She quickly adjusted the diamond necklace around her neck. Taking a deep breath she approached the doors to the gala two men standing outside the doors gave her a nod and a smile.

Ava smiled back and nodded back, the men opened the doors revealing people sharply dressed mingle ling around with one another. She took another deep breath and stepped into the ball room her gowns tail following elegantly behind her. Her green-blue eyes scanned the room looking nervously for a familiar face. She walked across the room to the free bar, looking straight ahead as she tried to ignore guests heads turning as she walked passed, whispering among themselves. She arrives at the bar and quickly orders a scotch. She takes a sip hoping the drink will calm her nerves.

"You look just like your father" She heard a familiar voice and quickly turned around with a smile. "and those dimples… just like your mothers"

"Dr. Bailey" Ava let out a sigh of relief. Finally someone she knew. The short graying haired woman approached her giving the beautiful tan women a hug.

"Your late Avery… very unbecoming" the short woman shot back looking at the blushing woman in front of her. "How's Kepner and your father?"

"Good… their doing good" Ava replied looking at the woman in front of her "Listen Dr. Bailey I know your not happy with me being here with a my new position on the board… but I…"

"Ava… I'm not, not happy with you being here… I'm just annoyed. I'm happy to have you here, to see you all grown up… But it's not me who you have to worry about, I know your parents history and I was there when you were born I know you're a capable surgeon but it's the rest of the hospital you'll have to prove to yourself too, to them you are the enemy the invader… The Avery foundation are the ones who cut their research fund, they are one's who kept the board members parents from winning a prestigious award like the Harper Avery" Chief Bailey told the young women putting her hand on the younger woman shoulder. "Now let's introduce you to the rest of the board members… Sloan! she Shephered!" Chief Bailey yelled out to the two women surgeons approaching them. The two women turned their heads, looking at the chief who gestured with her head to come over.

"…Oh my god! She did drive here on her big wheel" Sophia whispered to Zola as they approached the Chief and Ava. Zola gave her a grin before nudging Sophia's side. They stopped in front of the young auburn haired woman and their Chief of surgery.

"This right here is Dr. Ava Avery our new cardio fellow and board member" Chief Bailey gestured towards Dr. Sloan and Dr. Shephered. The two women looked on with fake grins on plastered on their faces. "Nice to meet you and excited to be working alongside great doctors such as your selves" Ava told the two older women who just kept giving her blank stares.

"Beautiful bone structure… I think I already hate her" Sophia whispered to Zola.

"Excuse…" Ava asked not quiet catching what the curvy dark hair doctor in the red gown had said to the Caramel skinned woman standing next to her standing gorgeously in a long silk black gown. "I was telling Dr. Shephered here that you have a beautiful bone structure" Sophia confidently told the now blushing blue-green eyed woman.

"And she's modest" Sophia grinned. "I'm a plastic surgeon I notice these things"

"Ah… Got it" Ava nodded her head, turning to Zola now "Are you following you father's footsteps and picked neuro? I'm a big fan I used to follow his research on brain mapping"

"No actually… I'm General" Zola stated a matter fact. "My little brother is the Neuro god just like our father" she said looking around spotting the tall blonde man talking up possible investors. Her gaze met her brothers and gestured with her head to come over. She watched as her brother excused himself and walked towards her direction "And here he comes".

Ava followed Dr. Shephered's gaze. Her eyes landing on a tall blonde young man approaching them. Her heart started pounding… it was him. The guy she left home with the night before.

Bailey slowly approached the four women his blue eyes landing on one in particular. He grinned at her stunned expression. "Good evening ladies" Bailey said shooting Ava the 'Derek Shephered smile'. "Dr. Shephered this is Dr. Ava Avery our new Cardio fellow and board member representing the Harper Avery Foundation" Bailey's smile slowly disappeared and had the same stunned look on his face as Ava had moments ago. She was the girl he had picked up at the bar the night before and had brought her back to a hotel room. He had slept with the Harper Avery Foundation Board member representing them at Grey-Sloan Memorial Hospital. "Well nice to meet you " Bailey stretched out his hand to Ava. She took it and he couldn't believe how soft her hand were, shaking it lightly. "Likewise I'm sure" Ava replied their eyes never leaving each other, letting go of each other's hands go slowly.

"Okay well looks like were all introduced here now back to business and bring in those investors money" the chief said looking at all four surgeons "Get to it and I'll see you all first thing tomorrow morning" and with that she departed heading towards the open bar.

"Oh look...Charles Maxwell" Sophia said pointing towards an confident looking elder man "He owns practically half of Seattle" she said fixing her cleavage and tossing her long curled hair. "He's mine"

"Unless I get to him first" Zola said passing right by her friend heading towards the man. "Oh its on!" Sophia said following her friend. They both loved competition. Ava watched as and 'she' depart towards the rich man. She turned her head back to the blonde man still standing in front of her… and starring.

"You left" He said taking a few steps to approach her. "Was I that bad last night that you had to leave without saying a simple good morning and goodbye…? I could of bought you breakfast you know". Ava rolled her eyes "I had things to do" She simply replied. "And I think it would be best that we never mention or talk about what happened last night ever. We need to keep it professional here… and you…you can't keep looking at me like that" She said her blue-green eyes meting his blue eyes.

Bailey Shephered grinned getting closer to Ava putting his lips near her ear "Like what?..." he huskily whispered slipping his hand on her lower back.

"Like you seen me naked" Ava replied backing away from Bailey making her way towards the bar. Bailey followed behind her. Grinning to himself as he got a good view of her backside. He watched her abruptly stop in front of the bar.

"Scotch please" She told the bartender. "Make that two" she heard the familiar voice beside her; she gave Bailey an annoyed look. "Are you stalking me now" She said with an annoyance in her voice.

"Not necessarily…" Bailey said taking his drink. "You Avery's always making it about you."

Ava looked down at her drink guilt slowly spreading catching his arm as left the bar. "Okay I'm sorry… It's just this… This is awkward… an…and I hate these benefits I know the foundation puts these together but I always hated these events" She said letting go of his arm. "I…I…didn't mean to be rude…I wasn't trying to act like an 'Avery' making it about me" She stuttered hanging her head she made her way towards the door placing her full glass of scotch on waiters tray as she passed him by. She needed to get out of there. She approached the men at the doors who kindly opened them for her as she stepped out of the gala. She grabbed her gown so she can walk out the lobby quickly without stumbling over the material. Blinking her eyes quickly as tears started to form. She suddenly felt two hands on her waist stopping her.

"Hey, Hey… slow down there" she heard turning her head to meet Bailey's face. "I didn't mean to upset you" he said putting both his hand on her face.

"It's not you…" Ava started "I…I… didn't want this position… I didn't want to be the intruder the Avery spy that intrudes into your hospital" She said blinking her eyes once again to stop the tears. "It's all this pressure from the foundation… doing what they want with me like I'm some type of puppet…" looking up to man in front of her she looked at the confused look on his face. "I…I'm sorry… I'm rambling and you… your looking at me like I'm a nut case" She said biting her lower lip.

Bailey smiled at her. "No not a nut case… a little neurotic, but definitely not crazy" he looked at her dropping his hands from her face and grabbing her hand. "Come on… I know somewhere that I can take you that'll relax you" he said leading her to the elevator. Ava quickly pulled her hand from his "I'm not sleeping with you again if that's what your getting at" She replied angrily.

He let out a laugh taking her hand again. "Come on Avery… trust me" he told her with a reassuring smile. She nodded walking slowly behind him. He led them into the elevator, pushing the button to the top floor. They stood in silence still hand in hand. The elevator stopped and doors opened up. Bailey led them out into a long hallway stopping at a door at the end of it. He let go of her hand and grabbed a brick that was tucked away nearby. He opened the door gesturing towards Ava to step outside. He used the brick to keep the door from closing.

Ava slowly walked towards the ledge of the top of the building. She couldn't believe the view it was breath taking. She put her palms on the ledge and leaned against it "Wow… this is…it's…"

"Beautiful… I know" Bailey finished the sentence for her, stopping beside her with his arms crossed over his chest. "Whenever the foundation makes these gala type of things… I always sneak away and come up here; you won't get a better view than the top of this building… It clears my head just looking at the buildings, the lights…" He trailed off as he watched Ava mesmerized by the view. She slowly began to talk as he snapped out of his trance.

"I mean I thought I had a view from my hotel room… but this… this is wow" She said turning her head to face him. Her heart pounding fast when she noticed him looking at her. He uncrossed his arms; setting them by his side; his heart also pounding fast in his chest; looking at the beautiful women in front of him had him in daze once again. He let out a sigh "Uh… we should get back" He whispered.

"Yeah… yeah… we should" She replied sliding her hands down the sides of her dress in a nervous kind of way. Bailey stepped closer never breaking their gaze.

"Okay…" he huskily whispered putting his face inches from hers. She let out a sigh as she looked from his eyes to his lips "Lead the way" she replied liking her lips.

Bailey placed his hands on her face, his forehead on hers. She let out a sigh and closed her eyes. He placed a gentle kiss on her plump lips, when she didn't pull away he continued. She slid her hands up his chest then around his neck as she followed the rhythm of his lips against hers. He then slid his hands from her face down to her narrow waist gripping her hips and moving her closer to him. Kissing her passionately, as the ground beneath them felt like it was spinning.

He broke the kiss resting his forehead against hers "we should… we should really get back" he told her. As much as he loved kissing her and admiring her beautiful features he knew that the Chief would have their behinds if she knew that they skipped the party. She slowly nodded and gave him a weak smile. He grabbed her hand and led her back to the door held open by the brick. The elevator down to the ball room was silent once doors slid open, Ava stepped out first leaving an entranced Bailey behind, he shook his head and stepped out the elevator as well. He stopped right outside the elevator doors. He watched her as she walked across the lobby and stop in front of the gala doors, the men at the door opened them for her and she disappeared inside the doors closing behind her and she was gone.

He stood there, mesmerized and speechless. She was just a girl at the bar that he took home; he ran his clammy hands down his tuxedo pants. And now he was falling for her.


	2. Chapter 2

"_There are two kinds of secrets. The ones we keep from others and the ones we keep from ourselves." ― __Frank Warren_

"Okay Mr. Cooper… All scans indicate that the tumor in your left temple stopped growing, thanks to the radiation treatment we gave you." Bailey Shepherd said to the middle aged man fidgeting with his hands nervously, he watched Dr. Shepherd as he tapped on the screen of his tablet. Bailey looked up and watched the man giving a tense yet confused look. "That's all good news Mr. Cooper… But we will be repairing the murmur in your heart before we proceed to remove the tumor… Once it's removed no more migraines and your speech will be restored back to normal, but we can't do all that until we get your heart healthy enough to sustain the surgery" He told his patient giving him a reassuring smile. Mr. Cooper simply nodded. "Cardio will be in a moment to-." He trailed of as the auburn haired doctor came into his line of vision. "Ah! And here's she is… Your cardio consult" He said gesturing towards the doctor standing by the door along with her intern hovering behind her.

Ava nervously lingered by the door. She had been trying to avoid Dr. Shepherd for the past few weeks since their first board meeting together; eventually she knew she'd bump into him sooner or later.

"Dr. Avery?..." her intern whispered load enough to snap her out of her trance.

"Hh…Hello I'm Dr. Avery I'm your cardio consult" she finally said. "Now Mr. Cooper I'm just going to take a listen to your heart" She said as she approached the patient and placed her stethoscope on Mr. Cooper's chest. Mr. Cooper simply gave her a nod and watched her as she silently listened to his heart. Ava looked up from her patient to and looked eyes with Bailey, who gave her a smile and a wink. A little caught off guard, she blushed as awkwardly lowered her head. "Uh… Um well Mr. Cooper I uh… I would like to run a holographic projection of your heart to take a look at your murmur … It sounds a little larger than anticipated" She said nervously trying not to look at Dr. Shepherd. "Dr. Turner here will prep you". She said handing over her tablet to the blonde intern standing beside her, "Get his labs done ASAP, please I want to get him in the OR today" She instructed the young intern.

"Right away Dr. Avery". The petite blonde intern responded.

Ava once again focused her attention towards the patient."Any questions for me?". Mr. Cooper shook his head no. "Not much of talker are you?" She said looking up at Bailey, who had been focusing on the tablet in his hands.

"Tumor is on the left side of his brain.." He said lazily without looking up.

"Soo…." Ava asked questionably. Confused to where he was trying to get at.

Bailey looked up momentarily, before looking down at his tablet again. "Left side of the brain controls speech… Tumor is on the left". He let out a small laugh; finally looking up he turned to his patient. "Ok Mr. Cooper, I'm all done here, next time we see each other will be in the OR". He said leaving the room, giving Ava a mocking smile as he walked out.

"Right…Okay…" Ava said doing the same, feeling a little embarrassed as she also left the room. She abruptly stopped as she noticed Bailey charting by the nurses' station. She approached him as her heart pounded nervously in her chest. "So…" She cleared her throat to which Bailey turned around to face her giving her a smile and slightly tilting his chin up. "I… uh will let you know how extensive Mr. Cooper's murmur is after I take a look… then we can decide on an approach together" She said stepping closer to the nurses' station grabbing another charged tablet paying more attention to the screen to avoid Bailey's stare.

"I look forward to that" he replied staring at the olive skinned woman typing away on the tablet.

"Sure no problem" Ava replied without looking up walking away her eyes never leaving the tablet's screen.

"Dr. Avery" Bailey called after her. He watched as Ava stopped and turned around and gave him an annoyed look. "Listen…" He began as he slowly approached her. "You getting on the same case as I am didn't have anything to do, with me kissing you the other night did it?" he said as he stopped in front of her with a self-assured look on his face.

"What?..." Ava replied a little taken aback.

"Just so you know it was a great kiss… amazing I may add" He smiled to her taking a step closer so that they were only inches apart. "And I know you enjoyed it, and I know you want me to kiss you again" he said licking his lower lip.

"Hold up!" Ava replied waving her had up in a stop motion in front of the other doctor. "Ju..Just stop talking…" She grinned at Dr. Shepherd as he slowly grinned back at her. "I did not get in on Mr. Cooper's case because you kissed me" she shook her head at him.

"Okay" he replied crossing his arms across his chest with a confident look plastered on his face.

Ava immediately took offense by his self-assurance."Are you mental enough tha…that you think that I would re-arrange my whole day to get in on a case just because…What!? You're in it?" she scolded him. She watched him open his mouth as to further imply that he was right by her reaction to his assumption, but she cut him off waving both her hands in front of her. "Stop!… just don't… just let me do my job and once I'm done you can do yours!"And with that she turned around and briskly walked away.

Bailey let out a laugh as he rubbed the back of his head with his hand. He couldn't stop thinking about kissing her, touching her let alone looking at her when he got the chance. He turned around to head the opposite direction and seen that Dr. Turner was trying to hid the amuse look on her face of what she just witnessed. "Dr. Turner" Bailey nodded at the blonde doctor as he made his way down to the nurses' station.

"I'm starving" the blonde intern said taking a seat beside the auburn haired doctor and un-wrapped her sandwich

Ava paid no attention to the blonde intern doctor sitting next to her she was glaring at Bailey Shepherd who was sitting from across the room, who was engaged in an intimate conversation with the other doctors sitting with him. She slightly jumped when she heard her phone ring, reaching into her lab coats pocket; she glanced at the familiar number flashing on the screen. She quickly pressed the ignore button placing the device back into her pocket and resumed glaring at Bailey Shepherd.

"So about tonight I should be off by-" The blonde intern began. But was suddenly interrupted by her the woman sitting next to her.

"Look at him". She gestured towards Bailey. "He.. HE!...he's so obnoxious". She said while stabbing her vegetables on her lunch tray with her fork repeatedly, still glaring at Bailey as he ran a hand through his blonde hair.

"Who?". The blonde doctor asked with a questionable look on her face as she watched the woman sitting next to her clearly annoyed at something or someone. She followed Ava's gaze slowly and discreetly turning her head towards to who she was staring at. "Oh! You mean Doctor blue eyes over there… Just bang him again… get it over with…then maybe you'll stop your little school obsession." the blonde doctor teased.

"I'm not going to ban… Just stop talking" the cardio surgeon said as turned to look at the blonde woman sitting next to her. Dr. Shay Turner was the first friend she made at Grey-Sloan Memorial, she furrowed her forehead. "It's just that… You can't go around meeting a girl at a bar then take her home…" She said turning back to looking at Bailey. "…give her the best sex she's ever had by the way, kissing her at a roof top the next day… and when you see her again; totally ignore her and pretend that it didn't happen, that nothing happened… because it did… it happened… and possibly I want it to happen again… and again… and again..." she rambled on placing her elbows on the table then setting her face on her hands letting out a sigh.

The blonde intern looked between her fellow surgeon and the neuro surgeon sitting across the room. She knew that he wanted the same thing, what her friend didn't know is when she wasn't watching him, he was watching her. With the same look of desperation and desire she had on her face at the moment."If I had a dollar for every one night stand that ignored me… I'd be able to afford better a lunch". She said trying to lighten the mood, as she threw her sandwich on her tray. Ava gave her bothered look while shaking her head at the intern. "What…? I have social anxiety, having sex is better than talking sometimes" the blonde intern replied.

Ava's pager went off, and she looked at the page "Mr. Cooper… I have to go… Catch you later for drinks" She said as she got up, grabbing her tray and dumping it on her way out of the cafeteria.

Bailey watched as Ava walked across the cafeteria room and exited out the doors.

"You been staring at that girl for the last past 3 weeks… are you going to make a move, because your staring is getting pathetic" Zola teased her younger brother from the other side of the table.

"50 bucks he won't fester up the courage to ask her out" Sophia laughed, knowing Bailey Shepherd was no Casanova. Sure he was good looking, great hair, hypnotic eyes, nice body; but even he was clueless on how he made woman swoon just by smiling at them.

"100 say's he will" Zola shot back.

"Deal" Sophia replied as she and Zola shook on it.

Bailey looked at the two women with aggravation; his pager went off; looking at the code flashing on the narrow screen as he stood up from the table. "I'll leave you two to further bet on my love life… I have a patient to check on" He said walking away towards the cafeteria exit.

"Make me proud! Don't let me 100 bucks short…Grow a pair Bailey!" Zola called after him, before laughing hysterically along with the fellow plastic surgeon sitting beside her.

"What happened!?". Ava asked as she stepped into Mr. Coopers room while the nurses frantically lowered his bed to a flat position.

"Bp is 180/100. He was complaining of chest pains earlier" One of nurses informed the cardio fellow over her shoulder.

Ava quickly ripped went over to the echo machine by the patients bed and took one look at the results. "He's going into cardiac arrest… bring in the crash cart." She said grabbing her long hair and tying in to a pony tail. "Paige Dr. Shepherd!" she ordered.

"Already paged!". A nurse replied

The nurses frantically wheeled in the cart and handed Ava the paddles "Push 100" as she placed the paddles on the man's chest "Ready… Clear!" She looked up at the monitors with a flat line crossing the screen "200!... Clear" never taking her eyes off the monitor looking for some type of rhythm to cross the screen. "Come one… Mr. Cooper… Come…". The silent room was suddenly filled with faint sound of Mr. Coopers pulse beeping on the monitor. Ava let out a sigh of relief. "Okay… we need to get him up to diagnostics… I want to get that holographic imaging going before we open him up… can you page my intern Dr Turner I need the extra set of hands" she ordered the one of the nurses.

"Right away Dr. Avery" the nurse replied as stepped out into the nurses' station.

Just then Bailey walked in as Ava and a nurse were wheeling out Mr. Cooper's bed. He exchanged a look with her as if to explain to him what had just happened. "He went into cardiac arrest… I… I need to get him up stairs for further asses his heart…" She explained wheeling the bed out the room and down the hall. She looked at the nurse at the nurses' station "Did you page Dr. Turner… I need to get this done ASAP" She scolded the nurse

"I'll try again Dr. Avery" the nurse timidly replied.

"I'll help… He's my patient too" Bailey said taking the other end of the bed. Ava looked at him with an arched eyebrow. "Besides… You can get a closer look at me, rather from across the cafeteria room" He said winking at Ava.

Ava blushed and hung her head so he wouldn't see that she was clearly embarrassed. "I… I wasn't… Just push the button" she said as they stopped in front of the elevator doors. He gave her a smug look as he reached over and pressed it.

Awkward silence drifted in the OR. Ava carefully threaded the catheter through Mr. Coopers chest. Slowly twisting her wrist outward in a rhythmic motion.

"So..." Bailey broke the silence. "Why cardio?... I mean any profession in the world... why be a typical generic Avery and choose cardio?" he asked as he watched abruptly stop what she was doing and look up at him her blue-green eyes narrowing once she met his gaze.

She looked down to the patient's chest and resumed to what she was doing. "Because... the heart is complex organ, it sustains all our organs, it keeps us going..." She trailed off as she finished inserting the catheter. She looked up and gave a nod to a nurse at the far end of the OR indicating to dim the lights. The holographic machine was turned on by another as if working in sync with the first one who dimmed the lights.

Mr. Coopers heart slowly appeared before them in a hologram form. "But..." She started off again reaching towards the hologram of the patient's heart slightly rotating it. "It's beautiful..." she began letting out a sigh, Bailey slowly turned his head from the heart projection to Ava.

"The heart is the only organ in the body that gives it away...". She said glancing at Bailey, before closing her eyes. "If you just listen to the rhythmic sound of the heart, your able to tell if a person is nervous, scared... in love... every rhythmic pace is different... It's like every emotion has its own song". Opening her eyes again she reached to the heart turned it, to reveal the murmur had torn a small hole in the left ventricle.

Bailey watched her swallowing nervously as his own heart began to rapidly pace. He shook his head as to snap himself out of his trance. He lovingly watched her as she examined and assessed the tear.

"I've never heard it described that way..." He grinned behind his surgical mask, catching Ava's attention as she smiled at him behind her mask, before turning towards the Mr. Coopers heart projection.

"Okay... well looks like the tear is small.. I should be able to repair it and fix the murmur without further damage... let's prep him" she said to the nurse standing next to her.

"All done here..." Ava said as she sewed up the last stitch closing up the patient. "Thanks for assisting Dr. Shepherd, I'll leave you to do your work" she said stepping away from the OR table and walking towards the scrub room.

"Dr. Avery?..." Bailey called out, he watched as Ava turned look at him. He hesitated for a second. "Since all my interns are busy with my post ops, would you do me the honor of helping me removing this patient's tumor". He asked nervously.

Ava blinked a few times before a little caught of guard. "Su..Sure... I'd love too, can't say that I ever assisted on removing a tumor from a man's brain" She said as she nodded at the nurse to put on a new set of gloves. She walked over to Bailey's side.

She watched him intently as he opened up Mr. Cooper's skull exposing his brain. Moving his hands effortlessly around the patients skull had her in trance. She carefully watched his technique. When the sudden sound of a nurse calling out her name made her go back to reality

"Wha...what?" she asked the nurse.

"Your phone Dr. Avery... incoming phone call from a Boston area code again... do I answer?" the scrub nurse asked the female doctor.

"No...no just ignore it" she shook her head and returned her attention to Bailey.

Bailey gave her a sideways look. "That's the third time since we been in the OR that they've called you..." he questioned her.

Ava shrugged her shoulders. "If it's important who... whoever...it is will leave a message". She replied nervously, he could tell that she whoever it was she was trying to avoid, so she changed the subject. "So... Why neuro? is it a shepherd generic thing?" she laughed under her mask.

Bailey let out a laugh and shook his head at her question. "No actually... the brain reminds me of cotton candy". He looked over to Ava who gave him a disturbed look, he let out laugh. "When I was a kid I used to sit up in the OR along with Zola and we used to watch, my mom and dad operate... But whenever I watched my dad operate on someone the exposed brain looked a piece of cotton candy from way up in the gallery" He explained.

Ava smiled and looked up at him, locking eyes with Bailey. "That's a wonderful memory, must have been fun childhood" she replied.

Bailey nodded in approval. "My parents meet, feel in love… probably conceived me in this hospital… I don't know, nor do I want to know, but yes this hospital is full of wonderful childhood memories" he said smiling behind his surgical mask. "I got the entire tumor out; I got it from here if you want to head home". Ava simply nodded and handed the suction to a nurse standing nearby and backed away from the OR table. Bailey watched as she disappeared into the scrub room. Zola was right he needed to grow a pair.

Walking out of Mr. Cooper's room, Bailey headed towards the nurses' station, he set down the tablet to charge and ran his hands down his face in exhaustion. He leaned on the nurses' station and his mind started to drift elsewhere, to her. His attention slowly turned towards the hall as he caught a glimpse of a pair of high heel knee high boots clicking down the hall towards him. He pushed himself of the nurses' station and stood upright. He glanced at the woman coming down the hall her long auburn hair perfectly curled cascading down past her shoulders; end of the curls stopping right under her rib cage.

"Hey". He greeted the woman as she stopped in front of him. "I thought you'd be long gone, home" he said eyeing her. She was caring her purse in one hand and a black leather jacket in the other. She had her makeup done; her red lipstick matched the red top she was wearing perfectly, he looked her up and down and thought how her black jeans that hugged her body perfectly. She looked like she was going somewhere.

"I... uh... was looking for Shay... I... I mean Dr. Turner, we were supposed to meet up for drinks after I wanted to know what was the hold up, she wasn't answering her phone" She replied as she dropped her purse and slipped on her jacket. Tossing her hair over her shoulder before picking up her purse again.

"Well can't say that I've seen her... " Bailey replied slipping his hands inside his lab coat.

"Oh okay..." She replied as she bit her bottom lip. "I'll... just... keep... looking" She told him softly as her gaze drifted towards his lips. "Uh…Goodnight Dr. Shepherd" she said as she began to walk away.

Bailey quickly turned and grabbed her arm leading her away from the nurses' station. Once they were out of sight her grabbed her hand and placed it over his chest. She looked up at him questionably. "What you said about the heart... every emotion has its own rhythm... This... this is what my heat does every time I see you" he softly said his had still over hers on his chest both feeling the fast palpitations of his heart.

She let out a silent gasp, as she closed her eyes as she felt every rhythm of his heart. He was nervous. She pressed her forehead to his as she wrapped her other hand around his neck. "You make me lightheaded... Every time I see you... I feel lightheaded" She whispered. She dropped her hands to her side, as he slid both of his to around her narrow waist. He walked her a few steps until her back hit the door behind her; sliding her hand behind her back she located the door latch, turning it downwards opening the door; she led him inside the on call room.

Bailey quickly closed the door behind him never breaking his gaze off of Ava. She put both hands on his face and lightly kissed him as he did the same. He grabbed her purse off of her shoulder dropping it on the floor next to her feet; he continued to take off of her jacket. She followed his lead and removed his lab coat. He deepened their kiss as he reached for her face. She moaned against his lips and tugged on his scrub top. He broke the kiss and lightly stroked her cheek. "You wanna do this?" he asked between her lips. She gave him a reassuring nod, as he began to kiss her again.

Bailey collapsed next to Ava; both heavily panting. She put her head on his chest; he lightly kissed the top of her head. They both jolted when they suddenly heard a loud ring coming from Ava's purse.

She turned on her side and reached in her purse pressing the ignore button before dropping it on her purse. "I should probably go…" Ava said as she lightly kissed him on the lips before getting up and reaching down for the articles of clothing scattered on the floor. The sound of her phone ringing again, Ava suddenly felt guilty come over she kept her back turned towards Bailey as slipped on her panties and then grabbing her jeans.

"Are you going to get that?" Bailey asked still laying on the bed as he watched her slip her pants back on. "It rang five times the whole time we were in here" he stated a matter of fact as he smiled at her. She turned around to face him her disheveled hair covering her naked breasts, he let out a sigh, as she slowly approached him and climbed into bed with him; kissing him on his temple, as she placed her hand over his chest both smiling at each other.

"Nope…They'll leave a message if it's important" She repeated her previous statement from earlier; on queue her phone beeped indicating a new message, she turned her head her smile disappearing as she glared at the device in her purse.

"Well I guess it was important" Bailey said as he stroked her hair. She turned to face him swallowing nervously. Knowing perfectly who was on the other end of that message.

"Yeah… I guess so…" she replied looking at him with a half smile, realizing that eventually she would have to tell him the truth… as the truth finally had left a message.

Bailey leaned in and wrapped his arms around her pulling her close to him. He chuckled as he stroked her hair. "I can feel your heart beating fast… you must be in love with me". He teased as he kissed the top of her head.

Ava half smiled. Those weren't heart beats of love… she was afraid.

{Next chapter will reveal what deep dark secret Ava is keeping from Bailey}


	3. Chapter 3

"_There is beauty in truth, even if it's painful. Those who lie, twist life so that it looks tasty to the lazy, brilliant to the ignorant, and powerful to the weak. But lies only strengthen our defects. They don't teach anything, help anything, fix anything or cure anything. Nor do they develop one's character, one's mind, one's heart or one's soul."_ -José N. Harris

The familiar voice she heard in the message still echoed within her head… poignant and taunting. Guilt slowly appearing on her face as she looked at the voicemail screen appearing on the device in her hand. 2 weeks old. 40—second long voice recording; her finger lingered over the delete option on the screen… taking in a deep breath finally she pressed the button; to discard the voice recording from her mobile phone permanently.

Staring vacantly at the 'no messages' now displayed on the screen, her guilt wasn't washed away along with the message; it was still there, prominent, lingering, unable to concentrate.

"Hey," She heard the very familiar voice whisper in her ear; turning her head, she met the hypnotic blue eyes that she adores and loves… correction the person she loves as a whole; a smile evident on his face, always eager and happy to see her. She forced a smile on her face with her dimples peering on her face; unable to see the guilt in her eyes.

"Hey," she responded back as she ran her hand along his check, and stroked his face with her thumb. She had to tell him… she loved him and she couldn't go on keeping secrets from someone who she fell in love with. She let out a heavy sigh as he brushed a stray strand of hair away from her face, that intimate gesture was too much… she couldn't keep it inside anymore. "Bailey…" she began dropping her gaze to the floor, focusing on her pink Nike sneakers.

Noticing her dropped gaze, his smile disappeared into a concerned look. "Ava, what is it?" he asked.

"I… uh… we need to tal-".

"I want to take you out on a date," Bailey interrupted her. Ava looked up at him her lips partially parted in confusion. "I mean outside this hospital, for the past 2 weeks we've been meeting in on call rooms and sneaking into each other's apartments late at night after working long hours here at the hospital just to sleep next to each other… So I want to take you on a date, a real date… outside these hospital walls." He looked at her searching for a response. "So what do you say?"

She blinked as a smile reappeared on her face. "Ye… Yes" she said as she let out a laugh.

"Great! I'll pick you up in the lobby around 8:30 your shift ends at 8… I checked your schedule". He grinned as he gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Okay…but there's somethi—". She started as Bailey's pager went off; interrupting her. She watched as he glanced down to the device attached to the waist band of his scrub pants.

"Works paging me, I'll see you at 8:30 sharp in the lobby". He kissed her again.

She watched him walk away his white lab coat floating behind him. Tears formed in her eyes as she followed his descending figure disappearing as he turned left into the hallway.

Bailey walked down the long hospital hallway looking at his watch it was 7:45 at night and he couldn't wait for his shift to be over, so he can see her. He tried to brush the fact that he didn't bump into her once all day, not even in the cafeteria; he spotted Zola quietly charting on her tablet, her forehead wrinkled as if trying to hide the fact that something is bothering her. Bailey slowly approached her placing his own tablet on the counter top of the nurses' station, turning his body towards Zola silently staring at her; she ignored him trying to pretend he wasn't standing there.

"Something's wrong?" He declared.

Without looking up from her tablet she responded, "You don't know that."

"You know how I can tell something's bothering you… You go silent then you ignore everyone and everything around you, so I'm asking again, what's wrong?" he asked placing his hand on her shoulder, giving her a reassuring smile.

Zola turned to face him she stared at him with an emotionless look on her face, trying to hide the fact that she was hurting inside. "She forgot her keys, Bailey". She said with tears in her eyes.

Bailey slid his hand off her shoulder, taking a step back from her. "So, everyone forgets their keys once in awhile." he replied frowning at her.

"Bailey…" Zola started off again. "She forgot her keys; mom is having memory lapses — forgetting familiar the location of everyday objects, she's—"

Bailey immediately interrupted her. "NO!... no… don'…she's fine okay… just don't." he firmly said waiving his hands in front on her.

Zola set her tablet down on the nurses' station; she ran her hands down her face in frustration, blinking rapidly trying to keep the tears from escaping her eyes.

Bailey stepped closer putting his arm around his sister. "Listen, you're over reacting okay… she'll be fine… She is fine...Mom will be fine, okay" He said putting his forehead against the top of her head. She gave his reassuring nod. "Now will you be fine? I have to go, I have a date." He said smiling down at her.

Zola immediately looked up arching her eyebrow at him. "What? With who?" she said stepping back crossing her arms at him.

"If you must know, I'm actually going on a date with Dr. Avery." He grinned.

Zola half smiled at him. "Excuse, I have to go look for Sofia… apparently she lost a bet," she said as she turned and headed down the hall.

Bailey paced back and forth in the lobby catching his reflection in the glass window; he nervously fixed his coats collar. Letting out a sigh as he ran his fingers through his hair, catching a figure in the windows reflection he abruptly stopped a wide grin forming on his face, turning around he spotted her nervously fidgeting with her the diamond bracelet on her wrist while she looked straight at him, she was dressed in a black crop top with matching black long pencil skirt that stopped midway down her calves and strappy black heels with an emerald green trench coat draped over her arm, her auburn hair no long in curls but sleek and straight. She looked modern, yet elegant.

"You… you look great." He said nervously, stepping closer to her as he grabbed her coat and helped her slip into it. "You ready?" he asked as he offered her his arm.

Ava hesitated, nibbling down on her lower lip. "Bailey…I…I—before you and I… we go anywhere… there's something I need to tell you—"

"If it's bad news, not tonight please… I have a lot on my mind regarding my mother, and I just want to enjoy my night with you… so no depressing news until tomorrow, please," he said as he placed his hands on her face, lightly kissing her. She let out a sigh of frustration, and nodded in agreement.

She took his arm as he led her out the hospital doors to his car. He politely opened the car door offering his hand as she slid in the passenger side. Bailey walked around the vehicle opening the door to take a seat in the driver's side.

"Now before we begin our date that I have planned out for us, I need you to wear this." He said as he pulled a blind fold from his coat pocket.

Ava smiled as she stared at the piece of cloth in his hand. "Really...?" she asked as she let out a small laugh tilting her head towards Bailey so he can put on the blind fold over her eyes.

He carefully flipped her hair off her shoulders as he put the blind over her eyes tying a knot on the back of her head, kissing her lightly on the lips before he settled back into the driver's seat. Grinning to himself as a smile appeared on Ava's face.

He proceeded to turn on the car and drive out the hospital unable to keep his sight off of the woman sitting next to him.

The car ride was rather silent. It consisted of mostly Bailey watching Ava nervously play with the diamond bracelet on her slender wrist. Reaching their destination he put the car on park, getting out as he rounded the car to open the door for Ava to help her out. Wrapping his arms around her waist he led her down on a concrete sidewalk. She listened to the click clad of her heels hitting the pavement, suddenly realizing she was walking on a different kind of surface... wood she guessed, her ears picking up on another sound, the sound of water; swooshing under her feet. She tightened her grip on Bailey's hands around her waist as she suddenly felt him stop her.

She nervously gulped as she felt him remove the blind fold; she blinked a couple of times as she looked on ahead dropping her jaw in awe. In front of her was a small white ferry boat, it was decorated in what seemed like white Christmas lights hanging on the lower and upper deck, blending beautifully with the backdrop on the Seattle in the far distance, she read the blue scripted letters along side of the boat 'the S.S. Meredith'.

"My dad has a thing for ferry boats," he simply whispered in her ear, as he led her up the ramp on the ferry boats lower deck.

"It... it's a beautiful boat," Ava said as she locked eyes with Bailey. She wanted to tell him... tell him how much he meant to her. How much she's fallen in love with him... and most importantly tell him how she would give up anything just to be with him, she'd give it all up for love for a chance to love him.

Bailey smiled down at her. "Come on," he said as he grabbed her hand now leading her to the top deck of the ferry boat. She smiled as she spotted a round table in the middle of the deck with a white table cloth draped over it, a chair on each side of the table. A single candle flickering in the middle of the table giving out the perfect lighting, she heard the smooth sound of music she slightly turned her head and spotted two men coming towards them, one appeared to be a waiter the other playing the violin.

Bailey led Ava towards the round table in the middle of the top deck. He pulled out her chair and watched her thin frame take a seat as she glanced up at him with a smile and a hint of blush crossing her cheeks. He rounded the small table taking a seat across from her, smiling as the man near the railing approached them with a silver tray on it two tall glasses filled with Champagne. The man placed the glasses on the table and backed away heading towards the staircase leading towards the lower deck.

Ava looked out into the distance looking at the Seattle buildings lite up as what seemed like tiny stars glittering against the building. Bailey watched her as he took a sip of his champagne. Her olive skin tone glistened against the candle flickering in the middle of the table.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" he said breaking the silence without taking his eyes off of her. She turned her head towards him with a grin on her face, her dimples also poking through her cheeks.

Ava sighed as she locked eyes with him. "It's is... So are you," she chuckled as she took a sip of champagne.

Bailey looked down as he shook his head letting out a small laugh. "Is that your attempt with flirting with me" he teased.

"That wasn't an attempt... You are a beautiful man Bailey, I bet you had the girls chasing after you all your life" Ava said a matter fact with a smirk.

Bailey let out another laugh, then taking another sip from his glass. "You would think that but I was actually this awkward skinny kid"

Ava smiled as she took another sip of her glass too, then placing her elbows on the table resting her face on her palms as she looked onto Bailey. "Doctor Derek Bailey Shepherd awkward... Tell me more"

He chuckled to himself, mostly at the fact that someone as proper like Ava Avery had her elbows on the table.

"We'll..." He began. "I played hockey up until I was 13, when I decide to take my studies serious because I wanted to be a doctor just like my parents... I was a band nerd in high school, I had braces wore glasses... I was in the debate team... I went to science camp... I had a pretty normal childhood, Zola and I... I went camping and fishing a lot with my dad... Actually high school was hell for me people didn't get me, girls like you didn't chase me ever in high school... Until... Until college though braces and glasses came off I discovered hair products... That's when girls like you chased me" he finished as he looked up to Ava scrunching up her face as she looked at him.

"What do you mean girls like me...?" She asked as she crossed her arms.

"You know popular, nice hair, pretty face... Cheerleader type." He shrugged.

Ava let out a loud laugh. Bailey looked onto her with a confused expression on his face.

"What's so funny?" he asked with a smile, twirling the champagne glass in his hand.

Ava stopped laughing as she heard someone approaching, two men with black suits approached them with a cart carrying two dishes of food the men quietly and swiftly placed the plates of food in front of Bailey and her. Swapping the champagne glasses with wine glasses. One of the men showed Bailey two bottles of wine, Bailey nodded to the bottle on the left of the mans hand.

He opened it and poured the red liquid in Ava's glass then Baileys, before the two men backed away and made their way down stairs.

Ava locked down at the piece of steak and sides on her dish, giggling as she took the silver wear in her hands.

"Well your turn to tell me more about Ava Avery, how was growing up in Boston? In a prestigious family like the Avery's," Bailey said as he placed a piece of steak in his mouth.

Ava took a sip of wine before answering. "Well... I don't really remember Boston that much in my childhood, my dad had us there up until I was a 3, once the foundation was settled after my great grandfather passing... My parents traveled a lot to third world countries providing medical care for people, I was home schooled up until I was 11 when my parents came back to the states... I grew up on a estate just outside of Boston after that, I rode horses, we had a dog... That's when I got put into an all girls boarding school... I was the geek with her nose stuck in books... At 15 I started sitting in board meetings for the Harper Avery foundation... I have two younger brothers and a little sister... Jordan he's 15, Kat short for Katherine she's 11 and my baby brother Hayden he's 6... Oh and my middle name is June, Ava June Avery" she said placing a piece of steak in her mouth.

Bailey stared at her without saying a word, a smirk across his face.

Ava smiled at him, "I was never the cheerleader... I wasn't that girl" she shrugged. "I was socially awkward..."

"That's hard to believe, giving you look the way you do" Bailey replied.

Taking a sip of her wine, she said, "It was hard to make friends... I skipped 8th grade so was the youngest when in boarding school... Also With my last name I had to watch out who was interested in actual friendship or if they had hidden agendas... Not to mention the rest of the Avery family treated me like all looks and no brains... Just like they did to with my dad..." She looked down at her plate. "Welp, I loved the look on the board members faces when I got into Harvard and then took cardio as my specialty." She let out a small laugh. The foundation had a habit of under estimating and stereotyping, especially their own.

Bailey laughed along with her. The two men from earlier can back this time to clear the table. Bailey got up from his seat walking towards Ava handing her his hand.

She took it as he pulled her out oh her seat and walked her towards the boats railing. She rested her palms on the railing as he slid his hand around her waist. Placing his chin on her shoulder as they both watched the approaching dock.

"You should just move in with me" Bailey proposed as he walked hand in hand down the hallway of the luxury hotel Ava resided at.

"It's not that easy finding an apartment close enough to the hospital" she said stopping in front of her room door, sling the room card in the door to open it. She turned to Bailey Giving him a seductive grin. "You coming in?" she said as she walked into her room.

Bailey smiled as he followed her in closing the door behind, he stepped in further into the room and watched Ava slip off her coat and place it neatly on the arm chain in the middle of her suite room.

"Make yourself conferrable. I'll call room service for some wine" she said over her shoulder as she disappeared into the bedroom.

Bailey slipped off his coat placing it over Ava's on the arm chair. He walked towards a book shelf full of pictures of her and her family. This wasn't his first time here, he'd come over late at night after his shift to sleep next to her a couple of times and left early the next day for work again. He never had time to actually look around.

He grabbed a photo of her with her younger siblings; they appeared to be outside on a staircase to a house. He smiled as he placed it down and grabbed another photo frame this time in the photo was of her and her dad. 'They look so much alike' he thought to himself. He looked at another picture of what appeared to be her mother younger sister and Catherine Avery. A silver, pearl trimmed photo frame caught his attention he picked it up and looked at the photo. It was a younger version of her father and mother they were outside a field full of wild flowers, Ava's mother Dr. Kepner-Avery was wearing a white lace gown in which her dresses train seemed to go on forever she had white flowers in her curled red hair. Her father was wearing a light grey suit with a cornflower blue tie. They both we're facing each other. Their look clearly showing love for one another.

Bailey smiled down at the picture in his hands. He knew about how Jackson declared his love for April on her wedding day to another man, which was enough for her to run away with him and get married. After so many years it was still quit the scandal at Grey-Sloan hospital.

"Ah... I see you met my parents," he heard a voice from behind. He turned still gripping the frame in his hands.

She was wearing a coral pink crop top with black yoga pants. She didn't have a smear of makeup on her face anymore and her hair was pulled into a side braid. He took in a deep breath, she was even more stunning than earlier. He liked her like this. Natural without all the glamour.

"Ye...yeah... I uh... Was looking at your photo collection," he said waving a hand towards the book shelf full of photos.

She took a step closer. "Say it loud and go from there..." she said looking down at the photo in baileys hands before taking it and placing it back on the shelf.

Bailey looked at her with confusion.

"My first serious boyfriend...I-I was leaving for my residency for Mayo... He was leaving for Duke University Hospital in North Carolina. I expressed to my dad how heartbroken I was that he was going to be miles away, that I was afraid to express my feelings to this person out of fear of rejection. He told me... If I really loved this guy to tell him, even if I'm scared that it's not the right thing to do or that'll cause problems... To say it and say it loud... Long story short I didn't, fear of him not feeling the same way got the best of me" she said as she smiled at him. Taking a few steps closer to him. "But next time I'm not going to let the person I have feelings for get away" she said wrapping her arms around his neck.

Bailey placed his hands on her hips. Leaning his forehead against hers. "Sometimes it's good to be scared. It means you still have something to love..." He whispered as he lightly kissed Ava.

Intensifying the kiss. Ava slipped her hands down to his collared shirt and slowly began to button it. He quickly removed it, discarding it on the floor; he grabbed the fabric of her shirt breaking the kiss as he pulled it over head tossing it onto the floor as well. He looked at her bare chest breathing heavily, he placed his hand on her flat stomach and slid up her stomach, between her breasts across her collar bone stopping behind her neck, grasping the flesh her pulled her to him and hungrily kissed her.

She once again wrapped her hands around his neck, as he grabbed her behind and lifted her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he slowly led her into the bedroom.

Minutes later Ava rolled off of Bailey, both heavily panting. She placed her head on his chest, closing her eyes as she listened to the rhythmic sound of his fast pacing heart as he kissed to top of her head and stoked her hair.

Ava suddenly opened eyes as she heard a knock on the door. She groaned as she lifted her head and slowly got out of bed.

Bailey grabbed her arm pulling her into him, kissing her on her swollen lips. "Hurry back" he demanded.

Ava pulled away smirking at him as she turned walking towards the closet and retrieving a lilac silk robe. Slipping it over her naked body.

She headed towards the door, quickly fixing her disheveled hair in the mirror by the door. Turning towards the door and opened it, her heart sank to her stomach as she nervously swallowed. She was staring at the person outside her door.

"Hello, Ava," a man in a dark blue suit greeted her. His piercing green eyes roaming over her curiously.

Ava glared at him. "What are you doing here, Carver?" she asked with a cold tone.

The man walked past her and made his way in the suite. "Business... You know that," he replied as he turned to look at her.

Ava wrapped her arms around herself avoiding his gaze. She quickly adverted her gaze towards her bedroom as she heard Baileys voice

"You're taking an awful long time you need hel-" Bailey stopped, surprised to see a tall older man in Ava's suite. The man had a light complexion with dark hair; a few grey spots by the temple and was neatly combed. "Oh I didn't know you had company" Bailey said as he fastened his belt on his pants. Good thing he didn't walk out naked he thought to himself.

The older man looked over to Ava who was looking away, her face expression clearly angry. He smirked as he turned to Bailey. "Where are my manners" the man said as he stepped closer to Bailey extending his hand, Bailey took his and shook it. "I'm Doctor John Carver."

"Doctor Derek Bailey Shepherd." Bailey responded as he narrowed his eyes at the older man.

The man mischievously smirked at the younger man before talking. "Ah! So you're Bailey Shepherd... The one who's been sleeping with my wife"


	4. Chapter 4

_When you think of a surgeon whats the first thing that comes to mind? Being cut open? Scalpel happy? Recovery time?... but there is one answer that crosses everyone's mind...death._

Running across the parking lot trying to escape the rain, Zola shielded herself with her purse. Turning back, she noticed her younger brother trailing behind not fazed by weather.

"Bailey!" she yelled out and frowned when he did not even look up at the sound of her voice. Turning around abruptly, she continued toward Grey-Sloan Memorial hospital.

She shook her purse from all the water before stepping in front of the hospital's automatic doors. She spotted Sofia, who was already dressed in her scrubs. She headed toward her.

"Hey," Zola Shepherd greeted her best friend, placing a hand on Sofia's shoulder.

Sofia turned toward her, giving her a smile. "Hey!" she greeted back. She watched as Zola grabbed a coffee and immediately added sugar yawning in the process. "So how's Bailey?" she asked as they both turned towards the lobby entrance with their coffee in hand.

"Well..." Zola started as they watched Bailey enter the lobby soaking wet, and walked right past the two women towards the elevator. "Not much has changed these past few weeks," she replied as they too went towards the elevator.

Bailey entered the elevator as Zola and Sofia followed after.

"Do you think he'll ever be normal?" Sofia asked tossing her long dark hair over shoulder as she glanced at Zola.

"I don't know I'm just tired of him moping around the house," Zola replied, not even acknowledging her brother who was standing in the back of the elevator. "He needs to get out there meet someone new so he forgets Dr. Adulteress."

She took a sip from her coffee. "I'm just shocked that she's married to 'thee' Dr. Carver. He's one of the greatest surgeons in the country let alone he's super wealthy, you know that guy survived testicular cancer twice, lost both his nu-" Sofia said with a chuckle.

"Can we not!" Bailey interrupted, the elevator doors fled open and he briskly walked out.

Both women stepped out as well, "Welp, I have surgery this morning with , patient with breast cancer that spread to the lungs," Sofia said as walked backwards in the opposite direction still looking at Zola.

"Meet at Joe's after," Zola called out after her friend. Sofia simply gave a thumb's up as she headed towards the OR, finishing the rest of her coffee and she turned to toss it in a nearby trash bin.

...

Opening the doors to the scrub room she spotted the auburn haired cardiac surgeon, vigorously scrubbing her arms with the disposable brush.

"Nice scrub cap," Sofia half complimented as she glanced up at the light colored pink neon scrub cap that had black pineapple silhouettes around it. It was quirky but definitely not Sofia's taste.

"Uh thank you," Ava replied shyly as she grabbed a clean towel and dried her hands. Then she left Sofia to continue alone.

It was fairly quiet during the surgery. Ava only spoke if she needed assistance or if she needed a surgical instrument. Not being able to take the silence anymore, "So... Dr. John Carver, huh?..." Sofia broke the silence as she glanced up at Ava, who kept her gaze down at the patients open chest cavity laying on the OR table. When she didn't reply, she continued.

"So were you ever going to tell Bailey Shepherd that you were married... Or were you just hoping that he'd never find out and you'd continue this little affair?"

Ava looked up from the patient, She looked around and seen nurses, anesthesiologist and Sofia all looking at her waiting for an answer, looking back down she let out a sigh. "Have you ever been used Dr. Sloan?" Ava asked as she continued her task at hand, glancing up slightly up at Sofia who stared back not saying a word, trying to figure out where was this conversation was going.

"Can't say that I have," she replied with a bit of bitterness in her tone.

"I was an intern at Mass. Gen. when I met him; he was kind, noble and a great teacher... He swept me off my feet," Ava explained as she gave the surgical instrument she was using to a nurse; swapping it for another. "So when he told me that he never had feelings for any other woman like he does for me, I believed him and we ran off... and eloped." Removing one of the lungs form the chest cavity and grabbing the healthy donor one, she continued. "So soon after I found out that all he wanted was a seat in the Harper Avery Foundation and you can't do be on the board unless you many into the Avery family... turns out I was naive and stupid enough to fall for his plan... We've been separated for what seems the majority of our marriage... I couldn't take all the lies and infidelity, so I traveled to other hospitals before I settled here in Seattle; to consult on cases just to get away."

Sofia glanced up at Ava, who was now detaching the other lung from the patient.

"So my answer to your question is, yes, Dr. Sloan... I was planning on telling Bailey Shepherd that I am shamefully married once to a man who used me to be on the very foundation that keeps this hospital going," letting out a sigh she stopped what she was doing and looked up at a speechless Sofia. "He fixed me... He made feel things tha-that I thought I would never be able to feel towards a man ever again, but how do you go on explaining that without getting the same look that you're giving me...pity eyes."

Sofia grinned under her surgical mask, "My pity eyes and cheater eyes are all the same." she said with a laugh, smiling when she heard Ava laugh as well.

"I-I am not a cheater...If it makes you feel better we haven't been intimate for over two and a half years... we've been married for three." Ava said as asked for more suction to continue working.

"So Bailey Shepherd scratched that itch, then?" Sofia said as she wiggled her eyebrows.

Ava nodded letting out a small laugh, her face turning red under her surgical mask.

Sofia then narrowed her eyes at her, "Why not ask for a divorce?... I mean if you were so unhappy and knew why he even married you in the first place why not divorce?" she asked curious to know why she choose to stay in a loveless marriage.

"It was easier to stay... than have to explain to my family and friends what was going on behind closed doors," she simply answered. Sofia understood; she had known about both her mothers' ups and downs and no matter what low they were going through you made a marriage work. Clearly knowing that she and Ava followed the same beliefs of the sanctity of marriage and religion.

Hearing a buzzing sound Sofia broke her train of thought as she heard one of the scrub nurses, "Dr. Avery it's your Realtor." Holding up Ava's phone in her hand so that she can see the message, "She's asking if you want to put in an offer on the house that you saw this morning?"

"Tell her that I'm thinking about it," Ava replied looking up slightly at the device in the nurses hand before continuing with her surgery.

Sofia bit down on her lower lip behind her surgical mask, knowing what she was about to propose would upset both Zola and Bailey Shepherd. But Ava had just confided in her on why she had kept her married life a secret and she felt for she didn't think that Ava was a bad person or 'adulteress whore' as Zola had a habit of calling her now, "You know... I just moved into my dad's old apartment I get pretty lonely being there by myself and was thinking on getting a roommate, maybe if you're interested...you...can...move...in...with...me?" she spoke the last few words slowly.

"You sure, I don't want to impose," the cardiac surgeon asked as they closed up the patient then stepping back away from the table and watched as the nurses now prepped for Sofia's part of the surgery.

It was too late for her to take back what she had said she took a deep breath knowing that Zola was going to kill her... metaphorically speaking of course, "No-no you wouldn't be imposing." she let out a nervous laugh.

Ava gave out an excited shriek, "Then I'll take you up on your offer, roomie!." She said with her face lit up behind her mask.

"Yay..." Sofia replied lazily as she stepped forward towards the OR table.

...

Racing out of the elevator towards the ER unable to catch her breath after being paged 911.

"What do we got here?" Zola asked one of the interns frantically examining the woman on the gurney.

"Marlow Porter, thirty-four years old... fracture to her left forearm and serious abdominal injury caused by car collision," Zola lifted the gauze from the women's stomach exposing her severed flesh. "Her husband was trying to cross, railroad tracks car got stuck and well you know..." the intern's voice trailed off.

"Book an OR!" Zola called out as she laid the gauze back down on the woman's abdomen, then tried to wheel the gurney out, when she heard a frantic voice calling from the ER ambulance entrance.

"Please help them!" a dark haired lanky man came running in after a a gurney and two paramedics wheeling in what appeared a child laying on it.

"Take her up to the OR and prep her!" Zola called out to the two interns pushing the Marlow Porter's gurney.

Zola jogged over to the man and the unconscious boy, "Sir calm down." she said as she examined the boy.

"Eighteen-year-old male, head injury to the left side of his head," the paramedic said as he lifted the gauze from the young boys head exposing the head wound.

"Page Dr. Shepherd, and tell Peds to be on standby!" she called out to the nurses. "Were taking your son up to the OR, sir you can wait in the waiting... he's in good hands," Zola reassured the frantic man, she turned heading towards the elevators when she once again heard the man call out.

"What about my wife Marlow Porter... is she fine!"

Zola paused, "Your wife's in surgery as well Mr. Porter... Now if you want to wait in the waiting area and you will be informed on how they are both doing." And with that she turned back around and headed towards the elevator.

...

**{Zola:OR 1}**

Stepping out of the elevator, she jogged towards the OR room that Marlow Porter was being prepped in.

Entering the scrub room and quickly turning on the faucet and soaping up her arms she harshly scrubbed her hands and arms, her eyes never leaving the patient laying on the table. Suddenly feeling a nervous sensation in the pit of her stomach as she dried her hands and entered the OR.

The nurses quickly dressed her in an operating gown and then gracefully slipped on the latex gloves over her dark skin toned hands and lastly placing the surgical mask over her mouth and slipping the ends of the elastic strings behind her ears.

The length of the gown fluttered behind her as she briskly walked towards the operating table. Setting her hand palm over the woman lying on the table; towards the scrub nurse she took in a deep breath, "Scalpel."

...

**{Bailey: OR 2}**

"Who do we have here!" Bailey Shepherd called out as he walked into the operating room, as the nurses dressed him too; operating gown, right glove, left glove, then mask.

Putting the back of his right hand on his left palm, keeping them elevated over his chest. He approached his surgical team.

"Eighteen-year-old, Trevor Porter... injury to the head... his skull cracked in the collision," One of the surgical residents explained, as he held up head scans towards Bailey who examined the scans, his blues scrutinizing every single angle of the boy's head that was printed on them.

Bailey narrowed his eyes, "See how the cracked skull fragment is digging in to the brain... the more the brain swells the more that fragment is puncturing it." He explained to his OR as he approached the end of the table to where the boys head was prepped, slightly lowering his head as so the scrub nurse can slip on his head gear.

Taking in a deep breath then letting it out he extended his palm, "Scalpel."

...

**{Zola: OR 1}**

"More huck towels," Zola bellowed out reaching her hand towards her surgical resident for another blue towel, once the resident placed the towel on her hand she quickly shoved it into the open abdominal cavity. "We need to control this bleeding, I-I can't see the source of where all this blood is coming from... Suction!"

...

**{Bailey: OR 2}**

"More suction!" Bailey called out as he frantically tried to work on the cause of the problem.

"Dr. Shepherd... BP and heart rate are dropping," one of the residents helping with surgery called out.

Bailey looked up to the monitors then back down at his patient his hands working quickly.

...

**{Zola: OR 1}**

"She's crashing Dr. Shepherd!" She hears the concern tone in the residents voice.

Looking up at the monitors she watched as the numbers dropped. "Get me the defibrillator!"

A nurse wheeled in the equipment placing the paddles in her hands.

"Push 100... Clear," she called out as she looked up at the monitor.

...

**{Bailey: OR 2}**

"Stats still dropping , Dr. Shepherd!"

Bailey watched as the patient started to flat line, "Push 200!" He placed the paddles on the patients chest, "Clear!" He yelled out the young boy's body convulsing under his hands as he shocked his body.

...

_... and when a surgeon does lose a patient, they take a mental note: age, sex, and time of death... and embed it to their mind._

The eerie sound on monitors filled the OR. There was no beep and pause indicating the patient's heart rhythm but rather a long beep that kept going none stop, no pause but on going.

"Dr. Shepherd?" An intern called out to the surgeon still holding the defibrillator paddles.

"Time of death...8:45 p.m..."

...

Sam Parker met his wife Marlow Parker when he was eighteen years old at community college in Alabama.

From the first time he saw her, he feel in love. He used to watch her from a distance, until he mustered up the courage to walk her to her classes, soon after that he asked her on a date... When he kissed her for the first time he knew that her lips were the only lips he wanted to kiss for the rest of his life.

After graduation, they married and moved to Seattle where he got a job as a local columnist for the Seattle times.

He found out he was going to be a father for the first time when his wife Marlow, gave him a shirt with 'worlds greatest dad' written across it. And the day he held his son, Trevor; for the first time, he thought about all the life lessons he'd be able to teach him. Help him grow up to be a man with values and goals. So when his now eighteen-year-old son got accepted into Yale university to pursue law, he was over the moon about it.

They packed up their old station wagon with Trevor's things and both Sam and Marlow Parker decided to drive their son there, their last family vacation before their son moves forty-four ours; three thousand miles away.

Now the station wagon wasn't always reliable it had a history to break down at the worst moments so when it stalled right in the middle of the train tracks. He chuckled as he got out of the car; hearing his wife bicker how they should of rented a car instead. Lifting up the hood of the car white smoke came barreling out, a slight odor of exhaust filled his nostrils, but he ignored it. It was an old car after all. He told his wife and son that he would walk back to the gas station he they passed a couple of miles back.

Marlow and Trevor Parker never even heard the train coming; the funny thing about carbon man oxide in car is that it slips you into a deep slumber... And eventually death.

Sam Parker ran his clammy hands down his face, glancing up around the room he noticed two surgeons approaching him still wearing their surgical gowns as they fluttered behind them like a cape, he stands up and suddenly time seemed to stop; everything and everyone were going in slow motion.

"Mr. Parker?" He heard one of the surgeons say snapping him back to reality.

The lanky man nodded, "I'm Dr. Shepherd. I operated on your son... The injury to Trevor's head was to extensive... It left him in a vegetable state, he is currently on life support in the ICU, and once again I'm so sorry," Bailey explained as he hung his head.

The man began to sob into his hands after a while he lifted his head, "An-and... My-my...wife?" He asked with a shaky voice.

Bailey looked back at Zola, who stood frozen unable to speak. She glanced at Bailey, he gave her a nod knowing exactly what she wanted him to do.

Turning back towards Sam Parker, "I'm sorry to inform you but, we did everything we can-"

"No! No not my wife!" Mr. Parker interrupted Bailey.

Bailey inhaled in as he continued, "But due to the extent of her injuries she did not make it... Again Mr. Parker I-I mean we are so, so sorry."

Zola teared up and felt a single tear trickle down her check. She quickly wiped it away, "I'm sorry," she whispered as she turned and walked away.

...

"Two tequilas and scotches," Zola asked the bartender at Joe's. Taking the drinks once they were poured, she walked over to the booth and handed one to her younger brother.

The blonde-haired, blue-eyed man gratefully taking a tequila and scotch from Zola, "Rough day..." he said bringing the tequila glass close to his lips.

"Rough day," Zola agreed as she and Bailey downed the bitter liquor both making a face as it burned their throats.

"Rough day?" Sofia asked, who was standing by the booth they were sitting in, with a drink in her hand.

"Rough day," both Bailey and Zola replied at the same time nodding their heads.

Sofia slid into the seat next to Zola, "Well... I have a roommate," taking a sip from her drink, she glanced over to Zola and Bailey.

"Really?... Anyone I know?" Zola asked as she too took a sip of scotch.

Sofia put down her glass on the wooden table, "Uh...yes...Ava Avery...I think she's over there unpacking some of her stuff," she replied taking another sip of her drink.

Bailey looked up from his drink, turning his head towards Sofia with a somber expression.

Zola swatted Sofia's arm, "Really!? Sof!"

Rubbing her arm,"Ow! what the hell-"

Downing the rest of his drink, Bailey grabbed his jacket and slid out of the booth. "I have to go," he said, heading toward the bar exit.

...

Flipping through the songs on her ipod, she clicked on her favorite;

CAPTURED EFFORTLESSLY

THAT'S THE WAY IT WAS

HAPPENED SO NATURALLY

I DID NOT KNOW IT WAS LOVE

THE NEXT THING I FELT WAS YOU

HOLDING ME CLOSE

WHAT WAS I GONNA DO? I LET MYSELF GO

Ava sang along as she unpacked a few articles of clothing and hanging them in the empty walk-in closet at her room in Sofia's apartment.

AND NOW WE'RE FLYIN' THROUGH THE STARS

I HOPE THIS NIGHT WILL LAST FOREVER

Hearing a faint knock on the door she rolled her eyes in annoyance, and headed out of her room towards the front door. Music still playing in the background.

I'VE BEEN WAITIN' FOR YOU

IT'S BEEN SO LONG

I KNEW JUST WHAT I WOULD DO

WHEN I HEARD YOUR SONG

FILLED MY HEART WITH YOUR BLISS

YOU GAVE ME FREEDOM

YOU KNEW I COULD NOT RESIST, I NEEDED SOMEONE

Placing her hand on the door handle she abruptly opened the door, "Bai-Bailey... what are you-" she began but was cut off by Bailey's lips clashing with hers gasping between his lips she pulled away, panting as she looked up at him.

AND NOW WE'RE FLYIN' THROUGH THE STARS

I HOPE THIS NIGHT WILL LAST FOREVER, OH OH OH OH

Bailey stepped farther into the doorway, placing his hands on her face pulling her closer to him as his lips found hers once again.

AIN'T NOBODY

LOVES ME BETTER

MAKES ME HAPPY

MAKES ME FEEL THIS WAY

Wrapping her arms around his neck, he lifted her up her small frame and she wrapped her legs around his waist. Keeping her body elevated with one arm, he closed the front door behind him.

AIN'T NOBODY

LOVES ME BETTER THAN YOU...

_...and the one's that they do manage to save are tucked away safely in a room full of dusting files._


End file.
